By Jennifer Logue
The Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville joined with community leaders and residents Aug. 19 to dedicate a new public sculpture honoring the memory of Allison Haramis.
Located in Stockton Park, “On Allison’s Wings” celebrates the life and legacy of 15-year-old Haramis, who died in 2009 in an automobile accident. To honor her memory, the Allison Brundick Haramis Foundation – also known as “Angels for Allison” – provides financial assistance to cover funeral costs for families grieving the loss of a child.
“Art has a way to create a space and to create a community and to paint a landscape where we can all come together and have hard conversations – where we can heal,” Cultural Council Executive Director Diana Donovan said. “Art becomes the ointment that helps us come closer together – and that helps us understand what it means to celebrate a legacy, as opposed to just mourning and grieving it.”
Donovan thanked numerous partners and community leaders who championed the creation of the sculpture and shepherded it through the approval process, including former City Council Member Randy DeFoor, who knew Haramis.
“I think this piece of art reflects Allison’s spirit – her love of dance, her love of life itself,” DeFoor said. “Allison was a force, she really was, and though her life was taken away too early, her spirit lives on with the Angels for Allison foundation.
“This statue speaks to those who come to this gorgeous setting, seeking peace,” she continued. “It will be a beacon for grace and for hope.”
Local sculptor David Main said creating the sculpture was a labor of love.
“We were told she was a dancer and she was very energetic and youthful, and so we tried to convey that in the sculpture,” he said. “I’m happy to be a part of the community and able to make such beautiful things like this.”
Allison’s mother, Drew Haramis, expressed her gratitude to the community for the kindness her family has been shown in the 15 years since her daughter’s death.
“It’s hard to believe we’ve been without Allison for as many years as she lived on this Earth,” she said. “No family expects to experience a tragedy like ours and through the kindness of the community we believe that we were able to create the mission of Angels for Allison to continue our daughter’s shining light and help others in need.”
A teacher at the Episcopal School of Jacksonville’s St. Mark’s Campus, Haramis noted that she can see the “On Allison’s Wings” sculpture from the window of her third-grade classroom across the street.
“I feel so blessed to be reminded of Allison’s legacy every day,” she said. “I hope others will find peace and inspiration in its beauty.”
DeFoor agreed.
“Generations to come will pass this statue and learn how special Allison Haramis was,” she said, “and how she touched many lives in her very short period on this Earth.”
